Dry cell



April 1, 1924.

. 1,488,908 H. DE oL'ANETA DRY CELL Filed Aug. 1s, 1920 6 -f :"u MW 45a gmcnoz llatented Api-1.1, 1924.

" cNlrEo srAgrEs ineen raraur'orrica.

momies OLANETA, or NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNon'To WINCHE's'rEaRE- r vrEA'rINs Anius COMPANY, or NEWHA'VEN, CONNECTICUT..

nav CELL..

v `Application led August 18, 1920. Serial Nal'.' A

the market in large numbers, and especialv ly those usedfor pocket flash lights or hand lamps, the zinc electrode is in the form of a cup in which are contained a carbon electrode with al surrounding body of depolarizing material and an exciting paste interposedv between the depolarizing material; andthe side wall of the cup. The depolarizing material usually consists of man-A ganese dioxid and carbon or graphite in its crystalline form, which is formed into a block or'cartridge'about a carbon elec-l trode, andis contained within a bag' of I cheese cloth or the like. l

Itis particularly with this depolarizing.l

j material that this invention is concerned. As labove stated, it has not been customary in the past to use the carbon or graphite inits amorphousv form for the reason that the use of the carbon in this form would usually giveV the cells such high internal' l resistance that such use would not 'be prac ticable. However, vI have .discovered that the employment of'a relatively large vamount -of calcium chlorid in the depolarizing mix will render it possible to use the manganese dioxid and the `graphite in their amorphous' form without such deleterious effects as ininternal resistance of the cell the strength of the current obtained from' the same.v

' Ihe exciting paste in cells of this type.

usually contains a solution of sal ammoniac, which is the principal exciting means and a solution of vzinc chlorid which serves to keep the paste moist. lIt may be,` how'- ever that the sal ammoniac usually found in de paste will be placed initially in the depolarizing. materia, 'as' set forth in'. my copendjng application, Serial 'No. 346,694, sied December 22, i919. l p Y One of primaryobjects of this invention is to rovide an improved 'dry cellof the type ascribed.

A further object of this invention 'is to provide 'a dry cell, which will be economical to manufacture, and which will have fa Longer life than dry cells now on the mar et. j .4 c e y A still further object Aof this invention 1s to provide a dry' cell of the type decfi-ibed, which will ve an increased shelf 1 e.

A still further obect of the invention isl to provide a ydrycel of the type described, in vwhich substances in their amorphous form may be used in the depolai'izing mix. 'With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawing shows a vertical central section of a dry cell made in accordance with the invention. The cellcomprises the usual zinc cup 1, constituting one-electrode. The second electrode isin the form of a carbon pencil 2,

which has tamped about the'same a block'` able insulating material such as bakelite, or other phenolic condensation product or an insulating film, which igssupported lupon the cartridge and upon a shoulder 8, formed closure member or seal 7 is retained in this position in an suitable way. 'l Inv the form shown, the l"e ge of the cupis'turnedor spun over as at 9 to lie above the. seal.' A

or. cartridge 3 of suitable depolarizing ma'- .by a preformed seal or plug 7 of a lsuitlupon the interior wall of the cup. The.

contactmember 10 is provided at ,the top of the carbon electrode..

In carrying outv my nvention, I. prefery ablyprovidej a paste which .is devoid of sal ammoniac. Thepaste. vis preferablyv composed of wheat flour 'or some other cereal,

zinc chloride solution and va mercury compound.4 In making up a batch of paste for the manufacture of .these cells, I mix to gether, for example, '12;5 -kilo -ams of wheat flour, 50 litres'.ofzinc1chlorir l l solution at '27- e' Y Baume, and'12.5 grams of mercuricchlorid.-

The ingredients are mixed toggether until all j l ofl the flour is dispersed, and the' massyis iio stirred,rlwhile being cooked,.until a stiff paste is formed. The cooking is effected before the aste is placed in thecell.

T e depo arizing body preferably comprises a mixture of amorp ous man anese dioxid, amorphous graphite, and an e ectro- `lytic salt mixture containing sal ammoniac or a similar salt such as zinc chlorid, and a relatively large amount of calcium chlorid.c

These are preferably mixed in the following proportions, by weight,' f

1 Lbs. Amorphous manglanese dioxid hydrate- 20 Amorphous grap ite 45 Calcium chlorid 3% Sal ammoniac 15 These ingredients are mixed with water until the mass is plastic and homogeneous, whereupon it isformed into a' block or cartridge 3 about the carbon electrode 2 in a manner well understood in the art.

The amount of'calcium chlorid -which may be used with good results in a mixture containing the above amounts of the other ingredients varies from three-fourths of one pound to five pounds and hence the salt\ l life, and thev light obtained when such a cell is used in a hand lamp is of increased brilliancy. The increased brilliancy of the light is perhaps obtained at the expense of 'a slight 1 0SS in the life of the cell, lbut this is more p than oiset by the fact that the life of cells made`from amorphous substances is much greater than the life of cells in which` the crystalline substances are used.

The use of calcium chlorid in the electro lyte of dry cells has been attempted previously insmallquantities, but has not been successful, because of the fact that it usually will set up local action and in this way will beA deleterious to the working of the cell. This substance has also. appeared as a troublesome impurit in the manganesev depolarizer "in the manu acture of dry cells and it has always-been necessary to get rid of it in some manner in order to prevent its setting up local action within thecell.

It is well` known that a substance in its i amorphous state is more easily broken down and the energy derived therefrom than when in crystalline form 'andffor this reasonitis desirable to use substances in this form when possible. Moreover as amorphou'srgraphite and manganese dioxid hydrate occur as -byproducts of some industries,` they are obtained economically in this form. The use of these substances is, at once recognized as highly desirable once their deleterious effect of increased internal resistance has been overcome. As stated, this use has been made possible by the addition, to the depolarzing mix, of a relatively largeamount of calcium chlorid, which I havev discovered will not set up local action when used in this manner. It will be apparent that b providing al paste initially devoid of the ectrolytic salt which is placed in the cartridge of depolarf izing material, I have constructed a cell which will not reach its maximum eiiciency when first assembled, but will reach such 'a condition after a considerable lapse of time, as ex lainedin m previous application referre to above. 'lYhis is due' to the fact thatv the electrolytic salt must traverse the paste before it reaches the zinc and acts thereupon. Thus the active life of the cell in the hands of the consumer is greatly increased.

While I preferably use av reformed plg, 7, of insulating material, suc as an insulating fibre, or an artificial resin, such as bakelite or condensite, to seal the upper open end of the zinc cup, itis to be understood that any Vsuitable means may be used for this purpose. Forinstance a pitch or wax seal ma be used.

ilel I have shown and describeda preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to exact details shown as various changesmay be made in the details of procedure and in the composition and arran Vment 'of parts without departing from t e scope of my invention as pended claims. I do notv claim herein a dry cell having the electrolytic material in the depo mix onl as claimed in'my copendmg ap'ph-4 cation, gerial No. 346,694,1iled December 22, 1919, nor do I clainr broadly herein a depolarizing vmaterialfor a dryccell composed of manganeseA dioxid,'carbon andl electrolytic material ofthe character claimed in my set forth in the apcopending application, No. 378,456, filed- May 3, 1920, nor do I claim herein a precooked paste for dry cells initially devoid of ammonium chlorid, as claimed in my application, No. 378,457, filed AMay 3, 1920.`

What I claim is: y A

1. In a dry cell, a zinc cup, a carbon elec,- trode therein, a depolarizmg body about the electrode containing ca cium lchlorid prior to activity in the cell and a paste interposed between the cup and the depolarizing bod t. y 2. In'a dry cell, a zinc cup, a carbon eleclarizing trode therein, a depolarizing body about the electrode-containing prior to activity-in the cell up to 6% of calcium chlorid, and a pastev interposed between the depolarizing body andthe cup.

3. In a dry cell, a zinccup, a carbon electrede therein, a depolarizin body about the electrodey containing amorp ous manganese hydrate, amorphous graphite and calcium chlori'd. 4. A depolarizing body for a dry cell which contains when placed vin the cell an electrolyte `salt composedof calcium chlorid. 1 andammonium chlorid. 15

which contains amorphous manganese 5; A depolarizing for I a I dry ocell bod l y by drate, Vamorphous graphite and an electrophous grap ite, units of ammonium chlo lyte salt composed of calcium chlorid and ammonium chlorid. r

6.' A depolarizing body, for `a. dry cell, containing approximately 20 units of amorphous man anese dioxid, 45 units of amorrid and 3% units of calcium` chlorid. v

v7. A `depolarizing Abody for'a dry containing an electrolyte v -salt mixture, which .contains up; to of calcium chlorid.

8. A depolarizing body'for a dry acell con.-

taining 'an electrolyte Salt mixture, which contains at least 5% of calcium chlorid.

rid and substantially fteen parts of ammonium chlorid.

10. In a dry cell, a zinc cup, a carbon electrede therein, a depolarizing body about the electrode containing calcium chlorid and ammonium clilorid, and a paste interposed betweenthe cup and the depolarizingbody, said paste being devoid of ammonium chlorid when the cell is assembled.

11. A depolarizing mix fordry cells containing a lsalt mixture, said mixture containingifrom 5 to 35 per cent calcium .chlorid.

12. In a drycell, la zinc cup,a carbon electrode therein, a. depolarizingbody about l the electrode and a paste interposed between the cup and the depolarizing body, the principal electrolytebeing placed in the depolarizer When the cell is assembled and oomposedin part of calcium chlorid.

- 13. In a dry cell, a zinc cup, acarbonv electrode therein, and a depolarizing body about the electrode containing graphite and calcium chlorid.

In witnesswhereof, I have vhereunto set (my hand on this 31 day of July, 1990.

HAROLD DE oLANErA. 

